


Some Proposal

by callmearenegade



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Dwalin Is A Softie, F/M, Marriage Proposal, Poor Balin, Tumblr: ImaginexHobbit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmearenegade/pseuds/callmearenegade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>based on :   Imagine Bilbo asking you how Dwalin proposed to you and you can’t stop laughing at the memory long enough to answer him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Proposal

“So,” Bilbo started, leaning toward the blonde dwarrowdam beside him. “You’re married to Dwalin?” He questioned nervously as he eyed the bald warrior who mumbled to Thorin on the far side of the camp chosen for the night. He knew the answer to his question. The information was made known to the few among the company who were not previously enlightened when Kili made one too many snarky comments for the couple to stand. Bilbo seemed to be the only one so surprised by the information.

“ Yes, Bilbo. I am.” She chuckled with disbelief as she checked the fire that was starting to blaze before them.

Despite her verifying the information once more - though, it was not at all unclear the first time- the hobbit could not believe it. Guinevere stood taller than any of her fellow dwarves- more than likely due to the human in her genetics- and despite the warrior muscling, she was lithe and leaner than all the dwarves around her. Her long hair was as thick as any of the company’s and was blonde and bright as the flame of the fire as it consumed the logs placed inside it. She was too much of a stark contrast to the dark, tattooed warrior she said she was married to. She was a fierce warrior that had skill to match the seasoned and war-hardened of the group but- despite the time she threw a knife at Bofur and Gloin from across camp - she was kinder and more welcoming than any of the others. She was known to laugh and smile and joke, unlike the gruff and abrasive dwarf she looked so adoringly upon with shining blue eyes.

“ Is there a particular reason you find it so surprising?” She inquired with a lightly annoyed tone to the hobbit as the other dwarves joined them around the fire.

“ He just doesn’t seem like your type.” Bilbo spoke shyly. She narrowed her eyes at the smaller figure as the words registered in her mind. “ You are so different compared to him.” He tried to save himself from the wrath of the warrior girl whose hand was tracing the knife on her belt.

“ Come now, Guin,” Fili spoke from the log he was sitting on. “ He doesn’t act like someone who would show any affection. No one would expect him to be married.” The young and brave prince spoke honestly.  
He had spent many years with Dwalin, being babysat when he was younger, and training when he was older. He was close to the same age as Guinevere and trained with her when they were younger, and despite knowing both for so long, he often found himself surprised by their relationship. He had no idea how it worked or started.

“ Good.” She scoffed. “ He is supposed to appear intimidating and rough. He is the head of the royal guard. If others thought he was soft he wouldn’t be doing his job.” She smiled smugly. She had long ago come to accept that few would understand the relationship or see what she saw in the Dwalin, but she always found pride in how many feared or were intimidated by the dwarf. She knew he was nothing but a big marshmallow on the inside.

“ Since you are married.. Dwalin must have proposed.” Bilbo spoke meekly as the blonde turned to face him.

“ Not necessarily for dwarves, but yes, he did.” She corrected plainly but looked softly at the worried hobbit.

“ How did he? If I may ask.” He stuttered as he kicked softly at the ground below.

A large blush spread over Bilbo’s cheeks as a loud laugh broke out of Guinevere. Deep regret spread through him as her laugh continued and she went red faced. All eyes of the dwarves fell upon her as she snorted with her laughter.

“I’m sorry! I promise-” she tried weakly before laughter got the best of her again. “ I promise I am not laughing at you, Bilbo.” She assured as her giggles left her and her hand went to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. The small hobbit looked upon her with a mix of embarrassment and confusion while the other of her kin looked at her with amused confusion.

“ Balin!” she shouted as the grey dwarf walked past the others on the way to his pack. “ Bilbo just asked me how Dwalin proposed!” She paused to push back the giggles that sprang up with the memory. The mentioned hobbit had a look of annoyance growing on his face.

“ Do you remember?” she inquired as the grey dwarf pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyance emitting from him.

“ Aye, Lass, I do.” He sighed heavily and her smiled reflected her amusement at the affect of the memory on the usually level dwarf.

With a wave of dismissal and a strong pat on her thin shoulders, Balin trekked back to his brother, the ever-curmudgeon king, and the wizard who all sat on the far edge of the camp for an important meeting. Out of earshot, for secret keeping reasons, she was positive. She would have to try to get them out of the old grump she called her husband.

“ How did he propose!?” The deep voice of Kili’s shouting pulled her mind back. The curiosity and excitement biting at him like fleas had worn him down and gotten the best of his - little- restraint. Guinevere turned to meet the young brown eyes with puzzled blue ones.

“ Did I never tell you this? Are you boys in the dark? You two are never in the dark, about anything!” She gasped in disbelief. The ever curious and determined princes didn’t know something? Without a doubt, it had to be a first. She was sure Thorin or Dis had spilled the story at one point. Thorin had to have told them to get back at Dwalin for gods know what with those two. Dis had to had split the story to sons to demonstrate or to solidify the stupidity of Guinevere. Dwalin himself hadn’t shared the story during a drunken rough house with the brothers?

“ I guess you have to tell the story, now.” Fili was adamant. His voice almost kingly and royally commanding, or it would have been, if she had not been who she was.

“ I guess I do.” She smiled brightly as eleven sets of curious dwarven eyes stared eagerly at her.

“ Gather around, children,” She mocked, imitating a school teacher perfectly, “We must finish the story before the grumpy bears return.” She sing-songed in a pitch that almost made the others question her dwarven heritage. Many of the dwarves shifted and moved closer, all of them tightening the circle they sat in as she sat up straighter and cleared her throat in preparation to tell the tale.

“ Children?” Bofur’s accent piped in. She rolled her eyes and ground her teeth with annoyance at the sassy tone in his voice. “ Most of us are older than you, Sweet Cheeks.” He teased as Oin grabbed his horn and Fili and Kili squished Bilbo between them in an attempt to get closer to the storyteller.

Guinevere lifted a blonde brow in challenge and the smile on her lips pulled into a threatening grimace that would send even Thorin running for shelter. Long hands slipped into the side of her boot and pulled the shining silver knife from it. Bofur knew enough to swallow hard. Not again, he thought. She brushed a few pieces of fluff and hair from the blade as she gripped the handle tight in her hand.

“ Bofur,” she looked up from the knife, “ You should really consider how much you value your mustache before you say things that might get you in trouble.” She threatened. A silence fell across the camp as the two stared at each other. Guinevere broke a smile. The smile told of her jest, but also of the threat and promise few would dare doubt she would keep. “ Seriously, though, hush. You’ve reached your word limit for the day.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“ Come on! Come on! Tell the story! How did Dwalin ‘ the terrifying leader of the royal guard’ propose!?” Kili encouraged excitedly, swaying left to right anxiously on his log. He was ready.. to wet his pants or to hear the story, either way, she couldn’t help but notice the way he looked like a small child- and not just from the lack of beard.  
With the clearing of her throat and a final threatening glare sent toward the one with the floppy hat, she opened her mouth to tell the tale.

**  
Dwalin collapsed onto the bed beside her in a sweaty panting pile of tattooed and muscular flesh. His back glistened in the low light of the fire that glowed in the corner and exposed the angry red scratches that carved down his back in chaotic trails. She almost felt bad about how irritated they looked, but then again she didn’t. He wouldn’t complain and she wouldn’t apologize. Still her heart felt so full, she had to fight the feeling of concern for her lover down her throat.

He rolled so his back rested upon the worn furs. She still found them odd. Growing up where and as she had, furs were often not the preferred choice for bedding. She couldn’t even remember them being used in harshest winters. Although, she has spent more of her - minuet in comparison to the dwarf beside her- years living among her kind, or at least, the chosen half of her, she hadn’t fully grown to accept or like the oddly textured blankets. She did admit, however, the cold winters did feel better with something furry to cuddle up with. But that was what she had Dwalin for. Why else would she return night after night to his bed and his company? Well, it was no longer winter and she still returned to him, and she had every night for more than a handful of years now. Well, perhaps he was good for more than just cuddling. Much to the surprise of many, she was courting the “insufferable, brutish grizzly of a dwarf”. The words still made her laugh.

Dwalin chuckled happily beside her, a smile pulling at his cheeks and making his eyes twinkle in the low light. It was in these gentle moments that she could not comprehend how anyone could see him as an insufferable grizzly bear. He was just a soft, sugar-toothed, teddy bear. He always had been with her. Even when they were training or working, she had never perceived him as otherwise. Though, afterglow, soft, squishy teddy bear Dwalin was her favorite.

Guinevere cuddled up onto his chest and rested her head over his pounding heart. Her thin fingers traced over darkly inked runes that rested on his chest and shoulder. She smiled smugly to herself. Dwalin could spar with almost anyone - younger or older- from dusk till dawn and not break a sweat or fight for breath, but she could make him huff and puff like the big bad wolf. It made her glow with pride.   
Dwalin sighed contently and placed his large, tattooed hand on her tanned hip and traced the soft skin there. Her skin was thicker than the humans she had grown up with - who always complained about bruising from the lightest of knocks or falls- but still maintained the softness. It always amazed Dwalin how so much strength and ferocity could be harbored inside such a soft and meager frame.

“ Oh, Gods, Lass.” He breathed out with another chuckle. “ Marry me?” he sighed, bliss still evident on his face.  
Guinevere laughed and looked up at him with blue eyes.

“ I was so good, I made you lose your wits. Perhaps, I did pass up my calling when I left the brothel to take up arms.” She laughed and jested. He was getting easier to please in his old age or maybe she just knew him like the back of her hand.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her upon the hard body below her. Her arms shot out to rest beside his head as he shifted her body till she could look down and be eye level with him. A light swat met her behind in response to her amused expression. She squeaked in surprise but tried to recover with a fake moan and a “ Hit me again, master” in the fakest sultry voice she could manufacture through her amusement and giggles. Dwalin knew he had caught her off guard and puffed up a little as she chuckled.

“ That was uncalled for. I was being serious.” He grunted, suddenly serious as his eyes locked with hers.

Guinevere sobered instantly. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open before she pulled away from Dwalin too quickly and violently for him to counter. She stood beside the bed, looking at the dark dwarf with disbelief plastered on her face. Dwalin sat up and threw his legs over the bed. He looked at the blonde with shock and confusion as she looked at him with a ferocity that would send a lesser dwarf running for cover.

“ You can not be serious.” She exclaimed loudly.

“ But, I assure you, Lass. I am.” He tried again, softly. She looked at him sadly, eyes almost shining with tears, and shook her head in disbelief.

“ Seriously!” She shouted, voice full of offense before she stomped to her abandoned robe on the floor and wrapped it around her.

“ Wait!” He sprung to his feet. “ What have I done!?” He spoke frantically, as if he was in a battle and the words could save a life. She only scoffed at him.

“ You know I am an idiot ! You have to tell me what I’ve done!” He hurried. She stopped and faced the dwarf. He looked totally perplexed. But her telling him would not do any good.

“ Think about it and get back to me with what you’ve discovered. You’re not as daft as you let others think. “ She spoke after a long sigh.

Dwalin shook his head. “ Just be careful leaving. It’s still dark. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” He advised, tone sad and loving. It was almost enough to stop her, but she couldn’t. With a nod, she walked out the door and left him to his thoughts, all the while, her’s attacked her worse than the largest army of orcs ever could.

~~  
 _Dwalin sat back on the bed that felt too cold despite the furs and the bodies that had only just left it. He smoothed the wrinkles from his forehead with the side of his hands. He didn’t understand. Yesterday he was positive she would accept his proposal._

_“How nice of you, Dwalin, to actually save me a cookie. I am truly the luckiest dwarrow in the world.“ She spoke with heavy sarcasm as she looked at the empty plate in the center of the table. The platter had previously been stacked with the cookies she had made the night before when insomnia - and Dwalin, it was always Dwalin- kept her up most of the night._

_“You did not request that I leave you any.” He smirked with a smug look. Guinevere only rolled her eyes._

_“ I made them Dwalin. There were 55 cookies on that plate. I didn’t think you would or could eat all of them.” The volume of her voice raised, but she smiled as Dwalin did._

_“ Thorin ate some, too!” He defended as he gestured to the prince across the table who was trying increasingly hard to keep his annoyed facade on his face._

_“ Thorin may have a sweet tooth, but he can stomach three, at most, before he gets a stomach ache. Just like Dis. Don’t give me any of that bullshit, Dwalin Son of Fundin!” She criticized and chastised in a severely mothering tone but a large smile._

_“ The pair of you are like an old married couple!” Thorin accused, trying to sound annoyed but looking more amused than anything._

_“ Please!” she rolled her eyes and scoffed. “ The only way I would marry him is if he promised in his vows to save me at least two cookies. And we know he wouldn’t do such an unholy thing.” She joked._

_“ I’d only marry her if she promised to keep making those cookies.” Dwalin joked._

_“ Really? That is your only term or condition? I think I could live with that.” She spoke with a surprising tone of honestly in her laugh._

_“ You would actually marry this brute?” Thorin questioned sarcastically as Dwalin turned and looked at his prince with a look of betrayal._  
  
_“ He may be a brute, but he is my brute.” She defended with an adoring look before the spoken brute pulled her down into his lap and pulled her flush against him._

_“ Eww! No fornicating in front of the prince! That tradition stopped being practiced generations ago!” Thorin groaned and covered his eyes and Guinevere let out a loud and uncharacteristic cackle ._

_“ Wouldn’t let you watch anyway,” He snubbed, with a cocky grin, “ She’s mine!”_

_“ Yours. Willingly and fully.” She whispered the words that would have made him fall to his knees, had he not been sitting._

If she had been so willing to marry him the, what had changed so quickly? What had he done?

~~  
“Your brother is the biggest numskull ever! How has he survived this long without a brain!?” She ranted and let herself in as soon as Balin opened the door.

She had wandered to his door after retreating to her home. It had been easily a year since she had been home. Now, it was too quiet and cold to be bearable. So she wandered away from it after putting some clothes on - that barely fit now that she had muscled up but all her other clothes sat in a wrinkled pile in Dwalin’s wardrobe. Unconsciously, her feet led her to the only other person who could understand Dwalin’s ignorance and help her feel better.

“ I’m sure he is, Lassie.” He yawned and mollified. She almost felt bad for bothering the old dwarf in the middle of the night, but she was angry. “But what exactly dd he do now?” He followed her as she charged into his kitchen.

“ He proposed!” She shouted as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard. Balin considered the tone of her voice for a moment, searching it for a hit of happiness he might have missed before in his tired state. He stroked his grey beard as he pondered.

“ Why is that a bad thing?” He gave in, concerned.

Guinevere slammed down the glass milk bottle, the glass clinking dangerously all the while with the threat of breaking as she turned to face the old dwarf. Soft blue eyes held apprehension as they peered over Balin.

“ He proposed after sex, Balin. Not even ten minuets after.” She sighed and picked up the glass. She anxiously traced it with her fingers and enjoyed the calming coolness it gave her sweaty hands.   
Balin considered the information as he pulled a wooden chair from the table and rested into it. He could see and understand her annoyance towards the situation but he could also tell there was more to it. He could tell from the constant movements and how uncomfortable she looked in her own skin that there had to be something more. Something about her, in her, had lead to her outburst. Balin had a feeling he knew the problems. Whether his brother could figure them all out and understand them is a whole other story.

“ So, you told him no?!” The calm dwarf broke his demeanor and sprung forward from his seat as the thought of her refusal crossed his foggy mind. Maybe, She didn’t fully understand how deep or far this went for his brother. How her refusal, flat out, would hurt him.  
  
“ I wouldn’t tell him ‘no’ over such a thing.” An exhale of relief echoed throughout the kitchen. “ I told him he couldn’t be serious,” She admitted slightly ashamed as she pulled the glass to her lips and took a shaky sip “ honestly, it was the only thought in my mind at that moment.” She swallowed down her shame with her milk as she scuffed the toe of her boot into the floor. Her eyes refused to meet the eyes of the dwarf before her. Though she stood visibly taller than the dwarf, she suddenly felt much smaller and below him.

“ Guinevere, I am sure he was serious. He is not one to be willy-nilly with his emotions and feelings.” Balin assured as she shook her head.

“ He couldn’t be serious or sure of anything. Not ten minutes after sex, no one is. Least of all, Dwalin, because he turns into a pile of warm and squishy muscle for, at the very least, a half an hour after an orgasm. Seriously, I could probably get him to give up being part of the guard, make him agree to move in with the elves, and admit to having a scandalous affair with Thorin during their teenage years, and he wouldn’t think twice or at all about it.” She spoke adamantly with a smug grin on her face. Balin grimaced but blamed himself for the turn in conversation. All the same, there was some information he didn’t need or want to know about his brother, and that definitely fit in that category.

“ Do you want some bit romantic gesture? Because we both know that is not Dwalin.” Balin almost laughed at the thought.

“ No!” she was firm, “ I want him completely sober, lucid, and knowing what he is asking! Is that too much to ask?” There, that insecurity popped forward again, and so did the sadness on her face.

“ I am sure,” The grey dwarf stood and walked carefully to the girl who appeared so small. “he knew what he was asking.” He held her cold hands in his as he tried to reassure her.

It had been a long while since he had seen her like this. He looked at her and saw the broken girl who came here clinging to Dwalin, broken and bloodied so many years earlier. The girl who spent years slowly growing and changing to be the confident dwarrow that many feared.  
  
“I don’t think so. He couldn’t possibly.” She breathed, voice matching her appearance. Balin resolved. Dwalin wasn’t the only one who didn’t know a thing.

“I am sure you two will figure it all out.” He comforted and she nodded her head weakly.  
~~~  
Dwalin was positive about many things. He had been positive he could sharpen his axes perfectly no matter what he was doing, but after the second time the ax slipped off the stone and nearly sliced through his palm, he decided he had found the one thing he couldn’t do while sharpen his axes; think about her and what he could have possibly done wrong. He huffily tossed the ax from his lap and enjoyed the clang of the metal colliding as the ax fell to the growing pile of sharpened weapons on the floor. The sound cut through the heavy silence. Dwalin has always enjoyed as much silence as he could get in his days. Too much of his time had been spent on a battle field or getting roped into babysitting Kili and/or Fili who didn’t understand the concept of silence despite their age, for him to see noise as anything less than an irritating annoyance. But now, the silence of her absence left him feeling out of sorts and awkward. Overall, he was highly uncomfortable in a way he had never felt in silence before. He felt like he was suffocating without the gentle sound of her breathing or the nonsensical mumbles of her sleep chatter. Of course, he missed the sounds of her moans that had been filling the air earlier. Damn it! He should of kept his mouth shut. Despite the darkness of night still hanging over like a heavy blanket, Dwalin threw on a shirt and charged out into the night. He couldn’t stay with only his mind as his company. The silence swallowed him whole .   
Dwalin charged purposefully into the dark. Dwalin knocked heavily upon the door. The knocks sounded frantic, even to him, as his heart pounded in his chest. Despite the frantic frenzy of knocks, Balin looked everything but alarmed when he pulled the door open. He only yawned heavily and waved his brother in before closing the door behind him.

“ I need some advice. I seem to have fucked up with Guinevere and don’t know how to fix it.” He rushed. Balin nodded his head and yawned once more. It’s going to be a long night, he thought

“ What did you do?” He asked as he sat down in the chair with fatigue.

“ You know how I’ve been meaning to propose for a year now?” The guard became suddenly bashful and shy as he scuffed his boot into the floor and bowed his head. “ I did.” He rubbed the top of his head nervously.

“ How?” Balin asked, dryly, slowly losing his patience.

Dwalin froze. Considering the proposal now, he could see where he might have gone wrong. He stuttered a bit as he considered a way to make his words sound a bit better to the judgmental ears of his brother.

“ Did you braid her hair?” Balin asked, deadpan. Dwalin’s face contorted into a grimace.

“ Did you get down on one knee?” He shot off again as he folded his hands in his lap.

“ No.” He finally managed.

“ Then what did you do?” Balin was annoyed. He yawned once more.  
  
“ I’m a brute, Balin.” He bowed his head in shame, “ We both know it.” he started to defend.

“ How did you propose, Dwalin?” The older dwarf was final and adamant in his words. It almost made he brother recoil in fear despite the obvious size difference and alertness level that assured Dwalin could handle anything his brother could manage.

Dwalin sighed in defeat.

“ I asked her,” he looked up with embarrassed eyes, “ after sex.”

“ Dwalin!” Balin accused as Dwalin dropped his head and collapsed in on himself. “Do you know nothing!?”

“ I’m a brute. I can try to defend all I want but I am a brute. I’ve loved swords and axes for too long and have forgotten anything civilized.” He sighed and relented.

“I understand how should could doubt my sincerity.” He continued. “ I’ll apologize and ask her correctly next time. If she allows me such.” He murmured.

“ I believe there is another issue that caused her to lack the seriousness and sincerity of your request.” Balin hinted toward his brother. He always needed a little nudge, and if it got the two together happily, he would nudge Dwalin off a cliff. Even the gods know that the two are nearly insufferable separate, but in some weird chance of fate, are perfect and happy together. It made Balin believe that, despite the dwindling number of their race, there were still some soul mates to be found out there.

“ Have I given her a reason to doubt me?” He worried.

Balin only shook his head. “ Just talk to her. The reason may not be in you, but in her.”

“ Literally IN her?” If Dwalin wasn’t worried before, he was now. Balin shook his head in disbelief as he pushed his daft brother toward the door.

“ It was an expression. Just go talk to her. I’m positive you two will work it all out.” He pushed the burly shoulder of his brother and succeeded in getting him out the door before he could speak another word. His patience was gone and he wanted to go to bed. He had lent his aid and was done now. There was only so much Dwalin and Guinevere fighting even a patient dwarf could handle.  
  
“ Fools, The both of them.” Balin spoke to himself with a heavy yawn. He prayed to the gods that the two idiots would work it out and get married already.  
~~  
Guinevere had never felt more like an idiot. She should have just ignored his words. Instead she went off on them and now she had sufficiently ruined everything. She hadn’t ever thought it would go this far. Not that she hadn’t wanted it too, only she was too logical to allow herself to believe that her relationship with the dwarf would get to this point. Despite knowing the relationship would have to fail at some point, she wasn’t ready for it. Perhaps, she had allowed herself to grow attached to him. Of course she had. She had allowed herself to fall in love with dwarf and she had been for years. Despite telling herself everything she had, she had gone against it all and fallen impossibly in love with him. She sighed and ground her teeth together as she fought to keep the annoyed scream inside her throat.

A knock range through her as she groaned. She stood and opened the damned thing.

“ You’re here.” Dwalin bowed awkwardly outside her door. The breath left her lungs in a quick gasp and she struggled with the urge to run into his arms and beg him to forgive her.

“ Where else would I be?” She tried to display the apathetic facade she had mastered when she arrived here.

“ I considered the idea that you could run home to your mother.” He spoke with a bitterness.

“ That place is not my home. Here is my home. This terribly cold room is more my home than that Inn will ever be.” She spat like the thought of returning to her native land was poison.

“ You have been spoiled as of late, my Darling.” He stated with a thick accent and a smug grin. “ As you should be, of course. But I don’t remember hearing you complain about it before.” He walked into the room. “ Allow me to get an actual fire started.” He referred to the piddly spark in the fire place. She huffed but followed him.

“ I hated this room before but I lacked the language skills and the status to complain.” She spoke as Dwalin leaned over the fire. His shirt rose a bit with the movement and revealed a few fading red scratches from earlier in the night.

“ I never understood why they gave this room to a Half Human.” She sighed heavily and her words held a heavy tone Dwalin was deeply searching into.

“ It is awfully drafty.You did get sick from this room. I guess I can understand why you would wonder such a thing.” He looked over is shoulder at her and could see the distress in her eyes.

“ I am half human, Dwalin.” She spoke voice booming and demanding attention. “ I shouldn’t have a room, I shouldn’t be here. “ Her voice cracked and Dwalin stood.

“ That is what this is all about. It’s why you doubt me.” He understood.

“ I’m less than you. I am just some stupid half breed who can’t fit in with either. I struggle with your language and always will, I don’t look anything like you and trust me, everyone tells me. I am weaker than you, and only the gods know how long I will live. I am less,” She sobbed. “ I have no right to anything.”

Dwalin’s heart shattered like glass upon a tile floor. Years later and she still felt this way. He saw her as she was, different but perfect, since the day he had seen her in the “Inn” as they had nicely referred to it. Many saw her as less than them, even Thorin for the first year, but Dwalin couldn’t understand it.

“ You are not less. I shall never see you that way.” he tried to comfort but it had never been his strong point.

“ You deserve much more than me. You should propose to some Dwarrow who is perfect and pretty and has status.” She dropped her head and folded in on her self impossibly.  
Dwalin smiled. “I did propose to a perfect blonde dwarrow with the prettiest eyes and best fighting spirit I have ever seen. I proposed to a Dwarrow with the status of officer of the royal guard, but you see,” he leaned closer to her “ I severely fucked it up and have to plan it out again because after a year of wanting to, I still haven’t figured out the correct way of doing it.” He hinted with a soft smile. She almost smiled but Dwalin still counted it as a victory.

“ You have considered asking me for a year?” She didn’t believe.

“ Yeah, but I’m a brute and haven’t figured it out yet.” He bowed his head shamefully.

“ You’re not a brute.” She walked toward him and took his head into her hands. “ You are a soldier who doesn’t need manners or romance when ripping an Orcs head off.But, despite it, your manner have gotten much better. And I would rather love a dwarf who can smash skulls over one with manners. All you have to do is ask again, Dwalin.” She whispered.

“ Marry me?” He questioned her, eyes shining hopefully.

She let out a disbelieving laugh. “Right now? You ask right now?” She scoffed.

“ Good a time as any, I suppose.” He rose his head in a found bout of confidence.

She looked away for a second and Dwalin could see the thoughts behind the eyes. Her lips pursed and a quiver of fear shot through the dwarf again. He couldn’t take two refusals in one night.  
“ I will only marry you if you are positive you would not rather have a proper Dwarrow, and that you are positive you would not find another later on who you would prefer.” She was serious, adamant in her words. Dwalin breathed a sigh of relief.

“ Yesterday your only point was that I left you three cookies, now you want another?” He let out a fake dramatic sigh and pretended to mull it over. He was not a good actor, she decided, and felt a wave of reassurance float through her. She knew he could not fake his love for her, if that was truly how bad his acting was.

“ I can live with that. Till death do us part. As long or as short as our lives may be.” He nodded as tears filled her eyes . She pressed a kiss to his lips as he held her tight in his arms.

“ My one.” He murmured into her lips. Guinevere pulled back and looked at him with curios eyes.

“ What?”

“You’re my one.” And he silenced her with another kiss.

***  
“ So you are both drama queens?” Bofur questioned. Guinevere almost stood to throttle him, but nodded instead. It was true, she decided.

“ I think it’s rather cute.” Dori spoke as Ori agreed and Nori looked surprisingly deviant.

“ So, obviously you have a marriage braid in your hair.” Kili pointed out, “ But Dwalin doesn’t.” He continued.

“ Why don’t you braid his?” Fili jumped in after his brother. Guinevere smiled to herself.

“ He really doesn’t have enough hair in a traditional spot to braid.” She explained. “ Don’t you worry, boys, I have my marks on him.” She assured.

“ Did you tattoo him!?” Kili asked, as if he had just discovered the meaning of life.

Guinevere chuckled and nodded her head. “ And he has me.” She added with a smug grin.

“Where!?” The brothers shouted in uni some.

“ We’ve never seen it, so it must be covered by clothes.” Bofur added with a rivaling smirk.

“ Those are stories for other nights.” She hushed them as the rest of the company returned to the campfire.

“ What is going on here?” Thorin grumbled as he eyed his bouncing nephews who were looking curiously at the only female at the group. Dwalin could feel the eyes on him as he walked, and felt acutely annoyed by them as he sat beside his wife, throwing a protective arm around her shoulder.

“ Just telling the children a good story so they can get some sleep.” She assured the prince with a wide smile. He almost believed her but decided against inferring farther.

When Guinevere had decided that Thorin was done questioning her, she rested heavier against her husband than she normally would while in the presence of so many eyes. She rested her head against the warm shoulder he had and he supported her easily. Wrapping his arms around her, he sighed contently and ran a finger over the intricate braid along the side of her head. My wife he thought. My love,she thought. The way it was always meant to be.

 


End file.
